Tree frogs that eat fruit flies?

Logqan · #1 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 06:43 AM

Who out there keeps fruit fly eating tree frogs. Please list your species I have have been wanting to try my hand at tree frogs since I had a green tree as a little kid. Now that I keep darts and mantellas I would love a small tree frog species also eats fruit flies. Anyway let me know and post pics if your are feeling spunky!

Ed · #2 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 01:42 PM

Are you only working with one size of fruit fly? Do you use other feeders? It is hard to recommend a true hylid that will only take melanogaster.

Ed

Logqan · #3 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 02:05 PM

Good question Ed hadn't thought to reference that.

I have three variations of fruit flies, I understand the turkish gliders and wingless melanos wont be of much use to tree frogs of any genera. I always have a massive swarm of hydei on the other hand. I usually have more cultures of them going at any one time than the smaller two. I also culture bean beetles and usually have a good amount of them going with the occasional dip. I also culture springs and isopods but again I know those wont be of much use besides grabbing the occasional isopod when they happen to wonder by.

Hope that helps

ChrisK · #4 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 03:16 PM

I'm sure Ed can give you more info on them, but I used to feed hydei to hourglass treefrogs - they went for them like crazy. They probably shouldn't be their staple though.

Freeradical53 · #5 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 03:31 PM

I have two green tree frogs that will eat anything. They will eat FF. Mostly, they are nocturnal, but if you feed them, they will come out and chase food. In the spring, green tree frogs gather on our storm door. At one time, there was at least a dozen. They were eating mosquitos and moths that were landing near them. I have fed them meal worms too. Anything that will fit in their mouths...

Ed · #6 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 04:42 PM

With your availability of feeders you can do a decent job with a number of species of hylids. Basically anything the size of the smaller reed frogs, hourglass treefrogs, or a spring peeper will take hydei and bean beetles. These frogs will also take regular sized fruit flies but need a really big quantity to do well with them.

Ed

Logqan · #7 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 09:36 PM

Sounds good thanks for all of the info everyone. I guess all that is left is to locate a source. At this point in the year I don't expect anything until spring but I wanted some advice from those who keep small hylids.

leuc11 · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 09:50 PM

clown tree frogs and reed frogs eat ffs they are small and barley reach an inch I personaly like the clown tree frogs better they are really neat hears some photos

Ed · #9 (**permalink**) 11-08-2010, 10:37 PM

Hourglass are a better choice than clowns as they are a smaller adult and can more readily be supplied with hydei. This is an amplexing adult pair of hourglass and those are my wedding rings as a size comparision. Female clown treefrogs easily exceed one inch in length and can approach 1.5 inches in length. These are not the best pictures for showing the colors..

Ed

MichelleSG · #10 (**permalink**) 11-09-2010, 01:33 AM

My neighbor has a green tree frog the size of a full grown RETF that will only eat fruit flies. We have no idea why and it was only dumb luck the I happened to be living next door and culture fruit flies. It's a dang big frog to survive solely on melans but I recently got a hold of hydei so hopefully it'll go for those too. Silly frog.
My vote is for hourglass or clowns. They're both so beautiful. My peacock reed tree frog juvies (the size of tincs) won't eat fruit flies. They will do small and medium crickets even though it almost kills them. Again, silly frogs....
I think Rainforest Junkies has clowns available though you'd have to email him since he doesn't keep his website terribly up to date. There are also some people on this forum who breed the hourglass.